Improvement in gas-retorts



W. F. BROWNE. Gas-Retort.

Patented Oct. 8, I878.

N PETERS. FHDTO-UTHOGRAFNER, WASHINGTON, D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE.

\VILLIAM FRANK BROWNE, OF NElV YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TU HYDRO-GARBONSTEAM GENERATING COMPANY.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 208,710, dated October8, 1878; application filed September 22, 1877.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I,WILLIAM FRANK BRowNE of the city, county, and Stateof New York, have invented some new and useful Improvements inGas-Retorts; and I hereby declare the following specification anddrawings to be a clear, full, and exact description and illustration ofthe construction and application thereof.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the construction andoperation of gas-retorts. This retort, as shown in the drawings, isdesigned for the purpose of making carbonic-oxide gas, although this gascan be sufliciently carbureted for illuminating purposes; but for theexclusive purpose of manufacturin g illuminating-gas a retort of anotherconstruction would be desirable. But when steam, in combination withcarbon, is to become an agent in the production of gas, the constructionof said retort, hereinafter described, will be found to be veryadvantageous.

In order to decompose steam rapidly when combined with carbon, it isnecessary that a high temperature should be obtained and maintainedwithin the incandescent carbon, and alsothe steam before entering theretort should be as near the same temperature as it isv possible to makeit without destroying the means for its production.

Now, in order to make water-gas properly, the steamshould be admittedbeneath the carbon and caused to rise through it, whereby it is broughtinto direct contact therewith, thus causing its rapid decomposition.Furthermore, the gas which is now formed should never be allowed to passthrough a mass of carbon and steam which is at a lower temperature thanthe gas itself, which would be the case were the gas to make its exitfrom the front end of the chamber in which the carbon is deposited.Therefore, special provision is made for the eduction of the gas at ornear the point of recomposition.

The retort-head is designed to be durable and economical in its use. Theleading features of said retort-head are the sliding and swinging bar,which supports the door or lid, said door being provided with asight-hole, which is covered with mica, thus afi'ording a permanent viewof the interior of the retort at all times without removing any of itsparts.

Another improvement consists in the packing of the joint between the lidand the seat. This packing is made of an elastic and noncombustiblematerial, and when of a fibrous material, like asbestus,it should becovered with wire-gauze or some similar material, which will prevent thefiber from 1 sticking to the bearing-surfaces and separating when thedoor is swung open.

The bearing-surfaces can be fitted to a very close, joint, after which acopper-plate corrugated packing can be inserted between the door and itsseat, and brought to a steam or gas tight joint by a screw or campressure.

Another improvement consists in casting a a flue on the top of theretort-head, said flue connecting with a corresponding flue in theretort, and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

Figure 1 represents a longitudinal section of a retort, showing theinterior. Fig. 2 is an external view of Fig. 1, Fig. 3 being acrosssection of the same, cut on the dotted line a: .r, seen in Fig. 2.Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the retort-head. This section is taken onthe dotted line I; 3 Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a front-end elevation of aretort-head inposition, Fig. 6 being a top plan of the same. Fig. 7represents a packing to be used in conjunction with the door of theretort to prevent the escape of gas.

Like letters refer to corresponding parts in all of the figures.

In Fig. l, A represents the body of the retort. c c is a cast-iron plateextending from the mouth of the retort to 'the rear end thereof. Thisplate covers the area of the bottom of the retort, being perforated fromone-half to two-thirds of its length, and rests upon projections whichare molded in the clay. The projections, which are seen in Fig. 3, areabout one inch in height. Consequently the projections c c c, inconjunction with the perforated plate, form two cham bers the len gth ofthe interior of the retort.

d d are two pipes connected to an elbow which is cast in. theretortrhead. Steam is conducted through these pipes to the interiorchamber y g, and escapes through the perforations in plate e c into thelarge chamber 1. \Vhile passing through this chamber it comes in contactwith a mass of carbon, l, after which it escapes through the small tluesa a into the flue u, thence along to the front of the retort, where itmakes its final escape through the stand-pipe c.

A in Figs. 1, .2, and it represents a rc-cnforcement or additionalthickness of clay on the top of the retort. This extra thickness is forthe purpose of allowing the tlue u to be constructcd therein withoutincreasing the thickness of the remaining portions.

dis a plug, (seen in Figs. 1.2, and 5, which is to be taken out wheneverit becomes necessary to clean out the tlue u. 1/ is the door, and h is asight-hole therein for the purpose of observing the heat within theretort. H" is a sliding cross-bar, to which the door is suspended, asseen in Figs. 1, 2, 5, and ti. I; is a wheel, provided with a screw,which passes through the cross-bar u and turns tightly against the doory.

1 represents asbcstus packing for the joint between the door and thehead U. This packin g is cut out of asbestus-board which is about,one-fourth of an inch in thickness. A reduced form of the packing isseen in Fig. 7. This packing should be covered with wire-gauze, or itsequivalent, for the purpose of keeping it together and preventing itsadhesion to the head of the retort when the door is swung open.

z is a ilange on the retort-head, which projects over the cml of theretort, to which it is screwed by the bolts) 111 Figs 3 and ti, o o r 1'represent a slotted hinge-joint, on which the bar 1c and door 1/ turn.

11 represents a bolt, which passes through the slot to and is secured tothe door g. These bolts are used to keep the door in position, and fromfalling while being opened.

a is a bracket cast on the head C, and a a slot therein. This slotreceives the end of the sliding cross-bar tr, and receives one-halt ot'the strain of the screw when the door is brought to a tight joint.

The retorts are made of any suitable mate rial, such as cast-iron orclay. \Yhcn made of cast-iron, less thickness is required than when madeof clay, and the clay retorts should not be less than two and one-halfinches in thickness.

The retorts are designed especially for gases producedbythcdecomposition ot'stcam in contact with highly-heated carbons, and inorder to thoroughly decompose them it is necessary to institute a meanswhereby a direct contact with the carbon is secured.

The construction of the means employed is as above described.

The process of making the gases is as follows: The interior 0 of theretort is charged with carbon, which, before its introduction, should bein a finely-divided condition, so as to present as great a surface aspossible, whereby it becomes more readily oxidized and converted intocarbonic oxide by the decomposition of steam. The decomposingintoelements of the old combination and their recomposition forming newcombinations is effected by the steam coming in contact with carbonheated to a whiteheat, as decomposition takes place rapidly when heatedto that degree of temperature. The carbon upon the plate 0 aml beneaththe tines u n wears away by the ac tion of the steam, and requires to bereplenished once in about eight or ten hours. This is done by openingthe door and forcing back the heated carbon which lies in front of thetines a a and perforations in bottom 0 c; and after the deficiency issupplied in the rear of the retort the front end should receive a newcharge of carbon, which will become heated while the carbon in the rearis consumed. By adopting this method of renewal a continuous action canbe maintained.

1 am aware that rctorts have been made with a secondary perforatedbottom, said feature bein g found in several English and United Statespatents. The novelty of this feature I disclaim.

The eduction of gas through openings in the top of the retort is old,together with aflue for conducting gas away. This device I lay no claimto.

I also am aware that swinging retort'lids with the hinging device eitherupon a bar which supports the lid or upon the lid are in use. Thesedevices I lay no claim to.

Sight-holes within the retort door or lid have heretofore been in use;but the aperture therein is covered by a screw-cap or a similar device,for the purpose of preventing the escape of gas therefrom, aml, in orderto view the interior of the retort. said cap must be removed while thegas will be flowing therefrom. To these devices I lay no claim.

I am also Tare that an elastic packing titted into grooves speciallyprovided for the reception thereof has been devised and is now in use,said packing being for the purpose of forming a gas-tight joint betweenthe lid and retort-head. This device I lay no claim to.

When said elastic packing is covered with wire-gauze the material willprotrude from the meshes by the pressure from the screw or cam, wherebya tight joint is obtained. Perforated sheet metal would answer the samepurpose; also, two or more thicknesses of wire-gauze without anysubstance between them would, under pressure, form a tight joint.

hat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The retort A, provided with projections c and perforated platethereon and flucs a a cast or molded therein, in combination withsteam-pipes (Z d, for the purpose specified.

2. The sliding swinging bar \V, provided with slots 0 and a, incombination with the retort-head (7", having brackets 0 and a, withcatch a, and the door g, supporting-bolts 1!,

6. An elastic packing covered with wiregauze, in combination with aretort-head and door thereto, for the purpose specified.

7. The retort-head C, steam-pipe d d, and flue e, in combination withretort A, having a perforated bottom, and fiues a a, for the purposespecified.

WM. FRANK ianovvnn.

Witnesses E. D. PRITCHARD, WM. APGAR.

